Which GPU cooler is better? Blower vs axial/open air - Ask a PC expert
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Date: 2022-03-15
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Comments and reviews: 10
Steve
I prefer the blower style fan because it blows the heat outside of my case. I've owned graphice cards with both Axial coolers and Blower style coolers. People will claim the blower style cooler is always very loud but thats not true. All GPU's I've ever owned were quieter than the Axial coolers. My current GPU is a Gigabyte GTX 1070 Windforce OC Rev 2. 0 and that thing gets really really loud during gaming even though I have a 140MM Fan blowing cool air directly at the GPU from the front of my case and I have very good airflow in my Phanteks P600s because I have two 140MM fans in the roof exhausting, 1 x 140MM fan in the back of the case as well as a 140MM fan in the front (at the bottom) blowing air at the GPU and DeepCool Captain240EX in the front of my case. I made sure to add the fan in the front of the case at the bottom so that the GPU would get some cool air. I remove the front and top panels in my case while gaming to make sure theres good airflow. My previous GPU was a GTX980 with Stock NVIDIA Blower cooler and that thing was very quiet during gaming even when overclocked and it never went above 65C.
My next GPU will have a blower style cooler for sure. I much rather them and I need less fans in my case for the blower cooler making the system even more quiet.
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I prefer the blower style fan because it blows the heat outside of my case. I've owned graphice cards with both Axial coolers and Blower style coolers. People will claim the blower style cooler is always very loud but thats not true. All GPU's I've ever owned were quieter than the Axial coolers. My current GPU is a Gigabyte GTX 1070 Windforce OC Rev 2. 0 and that thing gets really really loud during gaming even though I have a 140MM Fan blowing cool air directly at the GPU from the front of my case and I have very good airflow in my Phanteks P600s because I have two 140MM fans in the roof exhausting, 1 x 140MM fan in the back of the case as well as a 140MM fan in the front (at the bottom) blowing air at the GPU and DeepCool Captain240EX in the front of my case. I made sure to add the fan in the front of the case at the bottom so that the GPU would get some cool air. I remove the front and top panels in my case while gaming to make sure theres good airflow. My previous GPU was a GTX980 with Stock NVIDIA Blower cooler and that thing was very quiet during gaming even when overclocked and it never went above 65C.
My next GPU will have a blower style cooler for sure. I much rather them and I need less fans in my case for the blower cooler making the system even more quiet.
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arb
Blower style GPU size also sticks strictly to exactly two PCIe Slots, and the height of exactly one normal PCIe card. -
Some axial fan GPUs have huge heat sink and that are -extra tall- and taking up almost 2. 5 PCIe slots. -
Buying blower style GPU you are also kind of -safe bet- no need to worry much about your machine being overheat internally. -
Personally for my case I already have two CPUs pumping out tons of heat I just dont' want even more heat for just that additional little 10 fps and risking of machine crash every 3 hours. -
For some people who just want an easy upgrade of the graphic card and not expecting to also upgrade the internal ventilation, buying blower design is a good choice.
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Blower style GPU size also sticks strictly to exactly two PCIe Slots, and the height of exactly one normal PCIe card. -
Some axial fan GPUs have huge heat sink and that are -extra tall- and taking up almost 2. 5 PCIe slots. -
Buying blower style GPU you are also kind of -safe bet- no need to worry much about your machine being overheat internally. -
Personally for my case I already have two CPUs pumping out tons of heat I just dont' want even more heat for just that additional little 10 fps and risking of machine crash every 3 hours. -
For some people who just want an easy upgrade of the graphic card and not expecting to also upgrade the internal ventilation, buying blower design is a good choice.
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Carlo
In my simple opinion blower system have a better thermal design, default fan management (that you don't need to touch usually) and space optimization especially when producers stick on specifications (especially on Nvidia card. I found a better management, in particular, on Asus Turbo 2080Ti. I've noticed that the blower is so powerful that never reaches 100% of fan spinning. I've tested manually just to hear the db and it's damn loud like a hair dryer! On default, it never goes above 45-50% at 1920x1200, 60Hz on games like Control by Remedy, keeping a good thermal situation at acceptable levels of noise.
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In my simple opinion blower system have a better thermal design, default fan management (that you don't need to touch usually) and space optimization especially when producers stick on specifications (especially on Nvidia card. I found a better management, in particular, on Asus Turbo 2080Ti. I've noticed that the blower is so powerful that never reaches 100% of fan spinning. I've tested manually just to hear the db and it's damn loud like a hair dryer! On default, it never goes above 45-50% at 1920x1200, 60Hz on games like Control by Remedy, keeping a good thermal situation at acceptable levels of noise.
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liaminwales
-Lots of OEM computers like DELL are designed for OEM cards as exhaust, so for OEM upgrades blowers are worth looking at.
-some X570 mobo have the chip-set fan sucking in air right next to the GPU and if the GPU vents towards the mobo then it can suck in hot air
-some mobo's have the NVME slot next to the GPU, they hit the same problem as the chip set fans
dual fan cards some times have fins vent towards the mobo and some times have fins vent out the case depends on there direction.
fun video, i like the short and concise ones covering a topic
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-Lots of OEM computers like DELL are designed for OEM cards as exhaust, so for OEM upgrades blowers are worth looking at.
-some X570 mobo have the chip-set fan sucking in air right next to the GPU and if the GPU vents towards the mobo then it can suck in hot air
-some mobo's have the NVME slot next to the GPU, they hit the same problem as the chip set fans
dual fan cards some times have fins vent towards the mobo and some times have fins vent out the case depends on there direction.
fun video, i like the short and concise ones covering a topic
reply
RepJock88
Gentlemen:
Super helpful! I have a Dell Optiplex 9020 which I just purchased used. I also swapped in a GT 640 from my previous case, and it works great well enough for me (can render a 5-minute FB video I 5-15 minutes with Premiere Pro, depending on effects. SERIOUSLY want to throw in a GTX 1650, but the fans will be about a millimeter from the power supply. It seems like this would be a perfect scenario where a Bernoulli-type blower might work, especially since I could reverse the intake to face away from the power supply. What would you do?
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Gentlemen:
Super helpful! I have a Dell Optiplex 9020 which I just purchased used. I also swapped in a GT 640 from my previous case, and it works great well enough for me (can render a 5-minute FB video I 5-15 minutes with Premiere Pro, depending on effects. SERIOUSLY want to throw in a GTX 1650, but the fans will be about a millimeter from the power supply. It seems like this would be a perfect scenario where a Bernoulli-type blower might work, especially since I could reverse the intake to face away from the power supply. What would you do?
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Albert
I'm surprised that noise wasn't considered when answering the question. Blower fans are obnoxiously loud and, at least for me, not an option as I mostly can only game at night (have a wife and kids. Also, Brad mentioned that the manufacturer's use blower coolers to give their AIB partners more room to add better value to the card. He said that they can add beefier coolers that offer better cooling. Doesn't that make the axial cooler better by definition?
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I'm surprised that noise wasn't considered when answering the question. Blower fans are obnoxiously loud and, at least for me, not an option as I mostly can only game at night (have a wife and kids. Also, Brad mentioned that the manufacturer's use blower coolers to give their AIB partners more room to add better value to the card. He said that they can add beefier coolers that offer better cooling. Doesn't that make the axial cooler better by definition?
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Da
a blower fan video card and a axial/open air video has there advantage based on two things.
1. If you have a front fan intake, blowing towards the video card that is a blower. cool air is getting sucked in. and being blowed out the case which makes the card cooler.
open air graphic cards are only good if you are going to lay your computer on the side and have the side open.
to make the air completely leave the case. No thanks.
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a blower fan video card and a axial/open air video has there advantage based on two things.
1. If you have a front fan intake, blowing towards the video card that is a blower. cool air is getting sucked in. and being blowed out the case which makes the card cooler.
open air graphic cards are only good if you are going to lay your computer on the side and have the side open.
to make the air completely leave the case. No thanks.
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Adrian
There are a few more situations where you might want a blower style card. One is in a case that's just overall crap and doesn't do a good job of moving air, and 2 is if you plan on switching to a water block. In these additional cases/situations I would opt for a blower style rather then pay more for an axial fan type.
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There are a few more situations where you might want a blower style card. One is in a case that's just overall crap and doesn't do a good job of moving air, and 2 is if you plan on switching to a water block. In these additional cases/situations I would opt for a blower style rather then pay more for an axial fan type.
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Mathew
Why wouldn-t we use a blower to pull air in the GPU and a single axial fan blowing on a copper bottom aluminum top bulwark within the GPU housing to direct some of that nice fresh cool air directly onto the vram and GPU chip? Oh right, too expensive. Doing this now on a Gtx 1660ti
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Why wouldn-t we use a blower to pull air in the GPU and a single axial fan blowing on a copper bottom aluminum top bulwark within the GPU housing to direct some of that nice fresh cool air directly onto the vram and GPU chip? Oh right, too expensive. Doing this now on a Gtx 1660ti
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Mirarid
I actually prefer blower cards these days. 3 fans for air intake, 3 fans for out, PC is filled with fresh cold air for the blower to suck in and take straight out of the back. Compared to a multi fan GPU which blows hot air into the case itself.
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I actually prefer blower cards these days. 3 fans for air intake, 3 fans for out, PC is filled with fresh cold air for the blower to suck in and take straight out of the back. Compared to a multi fan GPU which blows hot air into the case itself.
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